‘Political correctness’ doesn’t hinder free speech – it expands it – “The reality is, of course, that blackface and casual misogyny were just as corrosive to black and female humanity in 1998 as they are in 2015; sensitivity hasn’t changed – access has. The punchlines are punching back. But it’s much easier to ignore your complicity in oppressive systems if you can cast the people who have been legitimately harmed as ‘oversensitive’.”

Marvel Show “Jessica Jones” Names a Most Evil Villain: Abuse – “Jessica Jones is a remarkable show for many reasons. There is its heroine, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), who is a complex and messy female character. There is her unshakeable friendship with her best friend Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), that serves as the emotional bedrock of Jessica’s life. And there is its unflinching and nuanced approach to abuse and survival.” (Spoilers, of course.)

Universal flu vaccine still out of reach – “It’s generally believed a so-called universal vaccine will need to trigger a production of antibodies — the immune system’s ammunition — that aim for a different target on flu viruses than the current vaccines do. But the new research shows that people’s previous experiences with influenza — both the viruses that make them sick and the vaccines that aim to prevent illness — limit their ability to produce that kind of antibody.”

Mary

Mary Brock is a scientist who works on drugs you've hopefully never heard of. She enjoys cooking to Blue Grass music, messing with her cats, and hosting the Boston Skeptics' Book Club. She was born in the South but loves living in New England (despite the lack of chocolate chip pizza). Mary does not use Twitter and don't even try to follow her, because she is always looking over her shoulder.

1 Comment

Ungh. So horrified by the James Dean stories. One of the primary benefits of purchasing porn from a mainstream company should be having confidence that what you are seeing is a consensual fantasy between adults.

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The Skepchick Network is a collection of smart and often sarcastic blogs focused on science and critical thinking. The original site is Skepchick.org, founded by Rebecca Watson in 2005 to discuss women’s issues from a skeptical standpoint.